Hi, my name is Pam and i am 44 this year and a South African living in Scotland for the passed four years. When my daughter was born nearly 16 years ago, I blossomed from a size 8/10 to a hefty size 16/18 and I am only 5ft 2 so it was really not a good look. Over the years since her birth and my gradual weight gain, I developed late onset asthma and continuous heart burn, which I put down to my weight. I weighed about 76kgs. I tried to come to terms with my weight and felt that I could never lose it, as diets that I had tried in the past had not worked and convinced myself that i didn't care anymore and because my hubby said he loved me no matter what I just kept up with my bad eating habits, eg loads of chips, biscuits, fatty meat, choccies, and ice cream, etc and consequently just got bigger and bigger.

Nothing looked good on me and I ended up wearing sloppy oversized clothes and never worried with hair and makeup coz I felt so ugly anyway and so never bothered to make the best of a bad job. Eventually, around about our summer last year, about July, I went to buy some new clothes at my hubbies insistence, but everything bulged and looked ghastly, and i looked so bloated and old that I walked out really depressed and then hubby said very quietly and gently, perhaps you should try and lose a little weight. He saw a beautiful dress in a very expensive boutique and said to me that if I could lose enough weight to fit into the size 10 dress, he would buy it for me. he is such a sweet heart. I was suddenly filled with determination and motivation that I have never had before to lose these ghastly kilos.

I started the GI Diet in August, and todate I have lost a total of approximately 11kgs and have gone from a size 16/18 to a size 12 and weigh 66.3kgs. I am really struggling to lose any more though, which I am finding desperately irritating. I have started going to the gym (3 times a week) and I drink loads of water, at least 8 glasses a day, and have cut down even more on the calorie intake, but am still not losing. However, I am still determined to continue until I eventually do lose it all and at last weigh the 55kgs.

I don't usually get much time to reply on this forum (I have a two and a half year old daughter)But when I saw no one else had posted a welcome I thought I'd say Welcome

Congratulations on already losing 11kg! You've done really well so far. This forum is great for encouragement but because of time difference that's probably why you didn't get any replies sooner. I live in new zealand so quite often when I'm on here there is no other members on here because I come onto the forum around 8-9am and in australia i think that would make it 4 or 5 in the morning.

Hi and thank you losebabyfat_2005! You're probably right about the time difference problem. Anyway, it was LOVELY to get such a huge WELCOME from you!!! Thank you also re the pm offer - I certainly will do. And you are most welcome to do the same!

What part of Scotland Nutzy?? I lived in Aberdeen for 2 years - home to South Australia about 9 months ago and I miss it SOOOO much!!

We're just outside Perth, on the Edinburgh side - a tiny, teeny village called Forgandenny that if you blink when you drive through you will miss it. I also love Scotland - it's really beautiful although really cold, rainly and windy today. If Scotland had South Australia's or even South Africa's weather it would be brilliant!!!

Don't stress about no one responding, its been a tad quiet in here of late

So I hear ya from Scotland and from Perth !!!!! My husbands family are from Perth !! As soon as I loose enough weight to fit on a plane, we're heading off to Scotland and Greece. Im sooooooooo looking forward to it

I'm sorry......I'm hopeless at responding to introductionary posts too. Good luck with your weightloss, it always gets much harder when getting down to that last third or quarter, but keep positive and you WILL do it!

I love Scotland too. I went on a teacher exchange programme and had a year teaching in Greenock, west of Glasgow, and living in the nearby town of Gourock. Loved the experience and especially the people. Scotland is a beautiful country!! Welcome to the forums.